October 09, 2026
According to the latest data released by the National Retail Federation (NRF) and Hackett Associates, U.S. ports covered by Global Port Tracker handled 2.3 million Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units - one 20-foot container or its equivalent - in August, the latest month for which final numbers are available. That was down 0.7% from a year earlier but up 0.4% from July to likely make August the busiest month of the year after an extended peak season.
Ports have not yet reported September numbers, but Global Port Tracker projected a drop to 2.28 million TEU, up 8.2% year over year. October is forecast at 2.25 million TEU, up 8.5% year over year; November at 2 million TEU, down 1%, and December at 2.02 million TEU, up 0.6%.
Those numbers would bring 2026 to a total of 25.8 million TEU, up 1.4% from last year's 25.4 million TEU. The first half of 2026 totaled 12.7 million TEU, up 1.1% from the same period in 2025.
January 2027 is forecast at 2.07 million TEU, down 1.9% year over year, and February at 1.92 million TEU, up 1%.
Source: NRF